Rediscovered this in 2024! Brilliant tune. Can't help but feel that this probably was meant to be an ABBA song, but they never got around to release it before the band split up. Should have been a much bigger hit than it was. Also, what a bass groove. Must be Rutger Gunnarsson on bass.
If you can, track down a copy of the original Chess demos (the 23 song version and not the 8 song version) - it will really throw you for a loop, some amazing stuff on there!
This is BY FAR my favourite song from Chess - Elaine's voice is astonishing! If you've ever been betrayed by people you loved (and held dear) as I have, the lyrics hit very hard. I always cry listening to this song.
@@gaskellr44 Still doesn't make sense, as have been plenty of musicals that have been hit musicals not just in one country but all over the world so very confused lol
I played Florence years ago in a local production and this was my very favorite song to sing out of the entire show (I know him so well a very close 2nd). Elaine was perfection and this video gives chills all these years later!
One of the many wonderful songs from this underrated show. I can't help thinking that with different subject matter it would have been a much greater hit.
So do I.It's such an example of pure brilliance. Chess is the most complex game in the world. The very best players in the world can determine the next move over days of hundreds of scenarios a computer couldn't calculate.
I currently have the 2008 'Chess in Concert' paused while I watch these. I have to say, some of the singers, especially Menzel, aren't giving these songs justice. Elaine Paige has such a beautiful voice and Menzel just does not have the right pitch. I wish there was a play recorded with the original cast.
I agree. I saw it and was disappointed. I'm grateful they maybe brought a larger audience to knowing the show?, but: with all respect to their efforts i say their concert version will never beat the original concept album 💕
Same here, was one of the first I went to when I was 5, + then saw it again when I was 6 + 7, then saw it on many tours afterwards! Another one of my first in that year was: Dave Clark's "Time", First one I went to I was 18 months old at Orchard Theatre in Dartford but remember nothing off it but first one I remember seeing was: Snoopy-The Musical when I was 3 + a half and remember my dad taking me to Wimpy afterwards and holding my hand to cross the traffic lights 😊
Ah! I've sung the backing vocals for this once as part of a concert series. Listening to and being a part of those harmonies was such a great experience!
Musical or not this is a great rock/pop song. There are other great music on this album. Too bad it did not do as well in the US as it did in UK and Sweden.
Though I agree with you, Chess has quite the cult following in the U.S (similar to Europe), and it has been staged nearly continuously in various regional and local markets in the U.S since the early 1990s, continuing up through 2019. It had one major run on Broadway, a national tour just after and then multiple major concert versions as well as the nearly continuous local/regional shows. It’s still being performed in new regional markets in the U.S and I see there are five regional performances completed in the last 5 months. There’s of course talk of a Broadway revival, which would follow the most recent concert version (which Tim Rice has said is the closest to the real story they’d like to tell), but with the additions of some of the original demo songs (glom mig om du vil) and some of the newer songs (Han ar en man, Han ar ett barn, etc). The role of Svetlana is beefed up, and I am glad she has been given an additional song. Check out the Oslo concert from 2016 to see the newest Svetlana song done amazingly well!
i love this song. it gives me comfort when I was young and Abba split off. When the album chees comes out I heard it day by day and after this long time I can sing every word form the whole album today. The musical itself was not a big success but the music was wonderful and a really ABBA-Album for all the fans. Thanks Benny and Björn for the wonderful music you gave in all that years to the people
What bothers me is the fact that there's videos for this, "the arbiter" and "one night in Bangkok" but no other footage from the production, it makes me think there's more unreleased footage from this version of the musical
Among some of the very cheesy moments of Chess, the songs sung by the female cast are some of the greatest musical numbers, this and I Know Him So Well specifically.
I happen to love Menzel's distinct voice on the 2008 show, but watching this was inspiring in an entirely different way; she can't dance, the 80s cheese is too dense to cut with anything but a chainsaw, AND...it's a fantastic song.
Menzel’s version is a little nasally and clear for me, though I completely respect her talent and skill! No-one does Florence like Jodie Benson, Helen Sjöholm or Elaine Paige. For super obscure Chess fans, even Jill Plaice’s 2010 Florence was pretty powerful.
Amazing performance by Elaine Paige! Really good song! Thanks to Benny's & Björn's writing/production, I'm getting some *massive* ABBA vibes here. Is this what a 1984/1985 ABBA song would have sounded like?
I don't think there was a bad song in the entire album. This would have been a follow-up to "Pity the Child," and then I would have also released "Anthem," "Heaven Help My Heart" and "Where I Want to Be."
It took 55 years for this 1964 wild manchild to realize that these ARE life lessons!!!!-Learn Children!!!!-WE ALL NEED A CHANGE OF CAST!!!!-no one-nobody is on your side or mine!!!!
Nobody's Side should have been an ABBA song it has the unmistakable ABBA sound it just needed Agnetha & Frida's vocals and it would have been a massive hit and Bjorn's lyrics are wonderful just imagine ABBA singing this song it would be amazing.
I totally agree with you. These songs should have been ABBA songs - there was so much still in the tank they could have gone on to have another 9 Number One's as a group .
Elaine Paige is the only woman who can sing 'Nobody's Side' her version is by far the best her vocal performance is just stunning and the only other woman that could probably sing it as good if not better than Elaine is the one and only Agnetha Faltskog.
I disagree that she's the only one who can sing this. Hellen Sjöholm sang this phenomenally in the Swedish version of Chess m.ruclips.net/video/MRauhVYPzt8/видео.html
Love Chess and Elaine Page. The hair, yes, classic 80’s and now we know why she doesn’t dance.... was she the originator of Elaine’s dance on Seinfeld? 😂
I was doing Nobody's Side with Elaine Paige, Julia Murney, Dolly Parton, Paige O'Hara, Judy Kuhn, Jodi Benson, Susan Egan, Idina Menzel, and Lea Salonga.
I want the blue sweater dress lol, but silliness aside, I can''t seem to get this one out of my head. Elaine's fault followed by the hammering style of those lyrics.
Chess is a great musical about an American Agent and Russian Agent falling in love amidst their respective countries Cold War using the world as global chessboard. Both realising the absurdity of the Cold War. When U.S. and Russia should be friends and strong allies working for global peace. Great message from the Musical one of the best of the 1980s.
So much hot mid 80s upper class artsy urban mom energy. I'd be tripping over myself to get a date with Paige in '85. So much 80s in her aesthetics, even her hair evokes the nuclear war fears we had what with that doo being in the shape of a mushroom cloud.
![NOBODY'S SIDE - Julia Murney CHESS [RehearsalThe Actors' Fund of America Concert]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EUwPY1NeLq8/mqdefault.jpg)
The only song on Chess to fade out - just Björn and Benny making sure we know that this is just an ABBA single with a different lead singer :)
Amazing & clever that you observed it's the only fade out song on Chess. I've listened to the record for years and never noticed that. Hilarious.
This definitely has the Abba feel more than any other song in the show.
With big exception of fantastic lyrics by Tim Rice, no? ;)
I didn't know that - been listening to this score for decades. Very well spotted!
One of the best piece of music ever, all genres. Play it loud!
Why am i only discovering this now??????? Recently seen Chess the musical locally and now i am hooked!
Rediscovered this in 2024! Brilliant tune. Can't help but feel that this probably was meant to be an ABBA song, but they never got around to release it before the band split up. Should have been a much bigger hit than it was. Also, what a bass groove. Must be Rutger Gunnarsson on bass.
"Mamma Mia" is credited as being the first ABBA musical. I disagree; "Chess" is, even if only B & B participated. It has the unmistakable ABBA sound.
Alex Wells ABBAcadabra came out in 1983, and maybe one could argue The Girl With The Golden Hair from 1977 was the first. ;)
It has a very distinctive ABBA sound! Think of “I’m a marionette” and that theatricality it has! Even “Under attack”...
If you can, track down a copy of the original Chess demos (the 23 song version and not the 8 song version) - it will really throw you for a loop, some amazing stuff on there!
Mamma Mia was crap!
I think Chess was originally written for ABBA as well - two lead female roles and two lead male roles, but then it somehwat branched out from there.
Man, I spent literally years looking for the official Chess videos back in the pre-internet days. And now here they are at my fingertips!
I fell in love with this production 40 years ago, and I always come back to it, in part or its entirety.
My son is doing chess at the moment its brillant
@@dianehickey3031 Which version? Who wins, and is Florence reunited with her father?
Elaine Paige; The Queen, singing one of the greatest songs from one of the greatest shows ever. Simply stunning, even 20+ years later.
Outside Abba this is the greatest music Björn and Benny ever wrote!
The Singers also phantastic!
One of the best songs ever written.
elaines hand waving during the chorus keep me going
Being an 80s kid I'm happy I stumbled upon this.
One of my favorite musical theater songs of all time. And Elaine's 80s hair is something fierce in this video...
Elaine is beyond cool.
Sweet
👍🔝💯
Her hairdo makes her about 5 cm taller! Love the song and video. I was about 12 when this came out...
This is BY FAR my favourite song from Chess - Elaine's voice is astonishing! If you've ever been betrayed by people you loved (and held dear) as I have, the lyrics hit very hard. I always cry listening to this song.
So powerful. That half-measure jump in the chorus really works.
Such a great symphony with melody and rhythm taking turns.
Goosebumps, every time! This song keeps on shining and never fades, even after 35 years! Possibly the best of all the CHESS songs.
Well it was a hit musical, and a hit cast album!
Yes it was. But the original Chess was a once of.
@@claytonpascoe480 What you mean, was a once of?
One off lol.@@mikekaraoke
@@gaskellr44 Still doesn't make sense, as have been plenty of musicals that have been hit musicals not just in one country but all over the world so very confused lol
Elaine was so perfect for this brilliant Musical. Her voice is so clear,precise and strong.This is one of the best songs of the Show.Lovely!! 7.2020.
Oh for a producer to make this a film or live show again.
I played Florence years ago in a local production and this was my very favorite song to sing out of the entire show (I know him so well a very close 2nd). Elaine was perfection and this video gives chills all these years later!
One of the many wonderful songs from this underrated show. I can't help thinking that with different subject matter it would have been a much greater hit.
It's remarkable how the melody and instrumentation of this song are so upbeat, but the lyrics are so bitter.
And that's so ABBA...
I wish they made this musical into a film. Live-action or animated. Either way is fine with me.
I would love to see Chess as a traditionally animated film.
-S.
Just not the weird cats cgi
So do I.It's such an example of pure brilliance. Chess is the most complex game in the world. The very best players in the world can determine the next move over days of hundreds of scenarios a computer couldn't calculate.
I’d like to see it as an anime.
Tttttttststyttttttytdfgyyfyytyyyygyyyttttt to iu
Words to live by in these song lyrics. I love all of the original Chess, but this is always the song I come back to.
Dano 416 same! It's my favorite song from the show
Hearing this song made a huge impression on me as a teen.
Every 3 or 4 years I remember this perfection of a video exists and I rewatch it. The lights, the hair, the dancing...classic.
And here I am again, 5 years later
and the winner of the ultimate 80s hair goes to... Ms Elaine Paige
By the time she stopped doing this musical, her next hit musical in the 80's-Anything Goes that hair had gone lol
@@mikekaraoke humm her hair is STILL mental tbf
@@zakariashartley In this yes it is lol
Many selfless cans of hairspray laid down their lives to create such a magnificent structure
So underrated as a Musical and so beautiful. Listen to it right through - every musical phrase, every lyric. gorgeous.
I currently have the 2008 'Chess in Concert' paused while I watch these. I have to say, some of the singers, especially Menzel, aren't giving these songs justice. Elaine Paige has such a beautiful voice and Menzel just does not have the right pitch. I wish there was a play recorded with the original cast.
Plus, Paige can still sing (remarkably well!) after age 50. ;)
I was disappointed in that concert.
There are good castmembers in that production -- but Menzel isn't one of them IMHO.
Menzel ruined the 2008 concert album for me. I’d rather listen to the less polished Danish cast version.
I agree. I saw it and was disappointed. I'm grateful they maybe brought a larger audience to knowing the show?, but: with all respect to their efforts i say their concert version will never beat the original concept album 💕
Was lucky enough to catch the original run in '86.
Still goosebumps.
Same here, was one of the first I went to when I was 5, + then saw it again when I was 6 + 7, then saw it on many tours afterwards!
Another one of my first in that year was: Dave Clark's "Time", First one I went to I was 18 months old at Orchard Theatre in Dartford but remember nothing off it but first one I remember seeing was: Snoopy-The Musical when I was 3 + a half and remember my dad taking me to Wimpy afterwards and holding my hand to cross the traffic lights 😊
18.4.2020. The lyrics are as profound as the show.She has such a brilliant voice, particularly here.
Elaine Paige is amazing
Ah! I've sung the backing vocals for this once as part of a concert series. Listening to and being a part of those harmonies was such a great experience!
"Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiill go wrong". Brilliant.
Elaine is spectacular.... as is her hair here.... I mean.... just *WOW*
All the best musicals have that one song that just blows you away. Wicked has Defying Gravity, Chess has this.
Chess also has "I Know Him So Well", "Heaven Help My Heart" and "Someone Else's Story". Talk about ballad powerhouse songs!
Gypsy has Rose's turn, Company has Being alive, Hello, Dolly has Before the parade passes by and Funny girl has Don't rain on my parade.
For me Pity The Child is the best Chess song.
In my opinion "Anthem" is the best
Chess has loads of big numbers
Needs a billion views.
never lose your heart use your head - easier said than done
A masterpiece from both: the autors and the singer! Also today a best performance! Like it so much!
Musical or not this is a great rock/pop song. There are other great music on this album. Too bad it did not do as well in the US as it did in UK and Sweden.
I would have loved to have heard ABBA sing 'Nobody's Side'.
Me too. Would have sounded even better that way.
A bit late perhaps, but check out Helen Sjöholms Swedish version of this song, it's extremely powerful!
Couldn't you just imagine this with Agnetha's vocals? How grand would that have been?
Though I agree with you, Chess has quite the cult following in the U.S (similar to Europe), and it has been staged nearly continuously in various regional and local markets in the U.S since the early 1990s, continuing up through 2019. It had one major run on Broadway, a national tour just after and then multiple major concert versions as well as the nearly continuous local/regional shows. It’s still being performed in new regional markets in the U.S and I see there are five regional performances completed in the last 5 months. There’s of course talk of a Broadway revival, which would follow the most recent concert version (which Tim Rice has said is the closest to the real story they’d like to tell), but with the additions of some of the original demo songs (glom mig om du vil) and some of the newer songs (Han ar en man, Han ar ett barn, etc). The role of Svetlana is beefed up, and I am glad she has been given an additional song. Check out the Oslo concert from 2016 to see the newest Svetlana song done amazingly well!
i love this song. it gives me comfort when I was young and Abba split off. When the album chees comes out I heard it day by day and after this long time I can sing every word form the whole album today. The musical itself was not a big success but the music was wonderful and a really ABBA-Album for all the fans. Thanks Benny and Björn for the wonderful music you gave in all that years to the people
What bothers me is the fact that there's videos for this, "the arbiter" and "one night in Bangkok" but no other footage from the production, it makes me think there's more unreleased footage from this version of the musical
This track is absolutely timeless and superb. Lyrics, melody and production at there very best!
I love Elaine Paige she's so awesome.
Great song, great musical. Period.
when this was new I was 13. It was my jam then and it's my jam now. Not so guilty pleasures.
Among some of the very cheesy moments of Chess, the songs sung by the female cast are some of the greatest musical numbers, this and I Know Him So Well specifically.
you are so right!
"One Night in Bangkok" and "Pity the Child" are pretty lyrically brilliant, as well.
Alexander McGrath yesss, especially one night in Bangkok :)
Also ‘Florence Quits’ and ‘No Contest’!
Anthem?
Love the hair. Love the voice. Elaine Paige simply wonderful.
This song features the quality of an ABBA song. It's a great follow-up to the The Visitors.
Exactly...this is what I would have expected on a 1984/1985 ABBA album
im obsessed with this
And you are good looking 😉
I happen to love Menzel's distinct voice on the 2008 show, but watching this was inspiring in an entirely different way; she can't dance, the 80s cheese is too dense to cut with anything but a chainsaw, AND...it's a fantastic song.
Menzel’s version is a little nasally and clear for me, though I completely respect her talent and skill! No-one does Florence like Jodie Benson, Helen Sjöholm or Elaine Paige. For super obscure Chess fans, even Jill Plaice’s 2010 Florence was pretty powerful.
I love Karen Olivo’s version. So much passion and strength
She SO can't dance🤣😍
Amazing performance by Elaine Paige! Really good song!
Thanks to Benny's & Björn's writing/production, I'm getting some *massive* ABBA vibes here.
Is this what a 1984/1985 ABBA song would have sounded like?
And Tim Rice
Elaine Paige
Yep!
女優としても歌い手としても良い芝居や歌を得たら素晴らしい一流の方。
Yass my diva Elaine the good old days.
I wish they wold become a new show and tour again. It is so hard for me to convince hoe incredible Chess truly was.
This song makes me happy
Me too 😁
Incredible singing
I don't think there was a bad song in the entire album. This would have been a follow-up to "Pity the Child," and then I would have also released "Anthem," "Heaven Help My Heart" and "Where I Want to Be."
Pity the child was the highlight for me.
This was actually the second single.. after ONIB and before IKHSW
Nothing wrong with Elaine.......but I would have loved to hear an Abba version !
Was written for broadway/eastend it's perfect as it is
everybody's playing the game but nobody's rules are the same pretty much sums it up.
My god, that hair...why yes, this WAS the 80s, why do you ask?
Just thought the same. We all looked a bit weird in the 80s. Miss it so much.
Cool music. 🤩🤩🤩
Two large cans of hairspray, and you'll have nailed it !!! 😆
You have to suffer for beauty.
It took 55 years for this 1964 wild manchild to realize that these ARE life lessons!!!!-Learn Children!!!!-WE ALL NEED A CHANGE OF CAST!!!!-no one-nobody is on your side or mine!!!!
Classic!!!
My Favorite Song from Chess!!! Love this song!!
She is so great!
And BB(Abba) is Super trouper great!!
The superb elaine paige a little bomb of a singer
Elaine's got the moves! You go gurl XD
That specifically 80s hair is life...
Nobody's Side should have been an ABBA song it has the unmistakable ABBA sound it just needed Agnetha & Frida's vocals and it would have been a massive hit and Bjorn's lyrics are wonderful just imagine ABBA singing this song it would be amazing.
Except they're not Bjorn's lyrics.... the lyrics are by Tim Rice.
Bjorn wrote the lyrics for Nobody's Side & I Know Him So Well one of Bjorn's trademarks is that his lyrics rhyme.
I totally agree with you. These songs should have been ABBA songs - there was so much still in the tank they could have gone on to have another 9 Number One's as a group .
The song did hit #1 in the UK
@@AdamDawson3 Lyrics were not written by Björn...
Elaine Paige is the only woman who can sing 'Nobody's Side' her version is by far the best her vocal performance is just stunning and the only other woman that could probably sing it as good if not better than Elaine is the one and only Agnetha Faltskog.
I disagree that she's the only one who can sing this. Hellen Sjöholm sang this phenomenally in the Swedish version of Chess m.ruclips.net/video/MRauhVYPzt8/видео.html
no lover's ever faithful that goes without saying!
We need this chess promo video on blu-ray/4k!!!! (if only for the alternate takes!!!!)
All that neon. Such 80s perfection.
So 80s.... but The song is great !!!
That hair!!!
Many brave cans of hairspray laid down their lives to create such a magnificent structure
Everything you ever needed to know about human relationships is contained in Tim Rice and Sondheim lyrics.
The video itself is cheesy as all get out, but the song is just perfection.
Love Chess and Elaine Page. The hair, yes, classic 80’s and now we know why she doesn’t dance.... was she the originator of Elaine’s dance on Seinfeld? 😂
everybody's playing the game but nobody's rules are the same pretty much sums it up!
sad but true
sad but true.
This is my favourite song
The only thing as good as 80s music, is the 80s hair styles...loving the look Elaine!
This song would have been a good theme for a mid 80s James Bond film
I want to die in a wool-wrapped Elaine Paige scarf, chock full of Aquanet hairspray. She's a powerhouse!
I always thought Chess was brilliant. I still do.
My favorite song and my hair at one point.
If they make a motion picture of CHESS, the album will be produced by Max Martin.
Him and Daniel Ingram.
Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson Of ABBA fame will not allow that!!!
Alicia Chea if they haven’t made a movie by this point, I don’t see it happening.
Her head voice is incedible.
Has anyone heard Samantha barks sing this !! She’s amazing !!!
Sadly, I think this probably ought to be one of my theme songs.
I was doing Nobody's Side with Elaine Paige, Julia Murney, Dolly Parton, Paige O'Hara, Judy Kuhn, Jodi Benson, Susan Egan, Idina Menzel, and Lea Salonga.
A discussion on a progressive rock forum brought me here, nuff said. Catchy but sophisticated song.
Is Anders Glenmark singing in the background?
Rex Lana / yumerch ASMR yes, and Karin as well
Funny how they force Elaine into an American 'afternoon' at 3:13
The amount of hairspray....wow...
BahstX it was 1984/85
The good old days. :)
Para l
Zut
I want the blue sweater dress lol, but silliness aside, I can''t seem to get this one out of my head. Elaine's fault followed by the hammering style of those lyrics.
Listen to Jodi Benson’s version and tell me she doesn’t kill it! (ruclips.net/video/LSQ_2ncohII/видео.html&app=desktop)
I cannot decide if Elaine Paige sounds more like Anni-Frid or Agnetha, or a combination of both.
Neither, she’s unique! And so are Agnetha and Frida
Even the first one is on english and it's about Russia. Chess will always be swedish musical because Björn and Benny are swedish people.
Chess is a great musical about an American Agent and Russian Agent falling in love amidst their respective countries Cold War using the world as global chessboard. Both realising the absurdity of the Cold War. When U.S. and Russia should be friends and strong allies working for global peace. Great message from the Musical one of the best of the 1980s.
This is my life in LA currently.
fun fact adele rootstein uk manufacturers of mannequins made an elaine paige for there petite range line and she was amazing
2020.
2021😻
The James Bond song that never was.
❤
So much hot mid 80s upper class artsy urban mom energy. I'd be tripping over myself to get a date with Paige in '85. So much 80s in her aesthetics, even her hair evokes the nuclear war fears we had what with that doo being in the shape of a mushroom cloud.
This song should have been sung by Agnetha and Frida if you know what I mean!
My God. The hair.